Derby City Classic 61 Topic

Five schools join host Bellarmine to compete for the Black Diamond Trophy. It features a horseshoe carved from genuine Kentucky coal by Kentucky coal crafter Alvin Powell. Presenting the trophy to the winning team will be award-winning TV newscaster Diane Sawyer.A graduate of Louisville Seneca H.S., she was also America’s Junior Miss in 1962. Her sister, Linda, placed in the top 10 for Miss America 1964.

BELLARMINE

The host Knights are led by veteran coach greenhawks. Thru 31 years, he’s 785-197 at the Louisville, KY school.Included are eight Final Fours, one of which led to a national title and two others as RU.

The Knights return 7 players from last year’s 29-3 squad, which lost to eventual champion Longwood in the Sweet 16.

Bellarmine is DII in all sports except men’s lacrosse. They compete in the D1 ECAC Lacrosse League. Thi conference includes Air Force, Ohio St.,Michigan, and 2012 national champion Loyola (MD).

FAIRMONT ST.

Coach dave456 has headed the West Virginians for 9 seasons with a record of 181-82. That includes a 5-22 record in his first rebuilding season. The Falcons hadn’t made post-season in 28 years before dave’s arrival in Fairmont. They were 24-6 last year, falling in the first round of the NT.

Julia Pierpoint of Fairmont is credited with the first Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day) when she and some friends began cleaning up and placing flowers on the graves of Union soldiers in 1866.

LANDER

Getbedarded leads the Bearcats (formerly the Senators)from Greenwood, SC.He’s 370-124 thru 17 seasons and won the very first Derby City Classic in season ’59. They lost two players tograduation from last year’s 25-5 team.

Gregg Marshall, head coach at Wichita St, grew up in Greenwood. He attended Randolph-Macon, however, instead of hometown Lander Univ.

MERCY

The Mavericks hail from Dobbs Ferry, NY. Coach matt191519 is 50-7 in two seasons at the helm.They return 11 player from last season’s 28-2 which fell to Mercyhurst 64-62 in the infamous Compassion Bowl.

They were the Flyers until 2007 when a new mascot, the Mavericks, was adopted . It has a logo of a Horse Head similar to Boise St.

SE OKLAHOMA
Beloved veteran coach bashert21 is the coach of the SE Oklahoma Savage Storm.He’s been in Durant, OK for 25 seasons and racked up 597 wins vs. only 252 losses.That includes one Final Four and a PIT championship. They return 10 players from last season’s 23-7 squad

In 2011, Dr. Rachel Tudor was denied tenure despite a positive recommendation by the Faculty Tenure Committee. The VP of Academic Affairs overruled the recommendation because Dr. Tudor’s lifestyle “offends his Baptist beliefs.”Two years earlier, the transgendered Dr. Tudor had completed her transition from male to female.

W. ALABAMA

The Tigers from Livingston return 11 players from last season’s 27-4 campaign, which ended in the 2nd round of the NT. .Coach bowen_brian has completed 6 years there with a record of 111-58.In just his 2ndseason, he led the Tigers to the NT, their first post-season in 57 years of basketball.

In 1847, students at Livingston Female Academy ( now W. Alabama Univ.) paid $20 tuition, $25 if they took piano lessons, and an additional $10 if they studied French or took embroidery classes.

I always love the random facts and commentary you come up with greenhawks. Thanks for devoting your time to be awesome! On another note, my non conference is brutal. I'm just looking for a win in this tourney and I'd be happy. At least my boys are fighting hard.

Bellarmine hosts SE Oklahoma in the final game tonight. A Bellarmine win would move the Knights to 4th place in the standings.
A SE Oklahoma win would put them in 5th place, dropping Bellarmine to 6th.